Sandansko Horo

SANDANSKO HORO
Bulgarian

PRONUNCIATION: sahn-DAHN-skoh hoh-ROH

TRANSLATION: Sandanski dance

SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance from Yves Moreau who learned it in October, 1969, from members of a folk ensemble of the town of Sandanski, Bulgaria.

BACKGROUND: Sandansko Horo is from the town of Sandanski in the Blagoevgrad district, some 30 kilometers north of the border with Greece in the southwest corner of Bulgaria. Yves says the dance is quite popular in the villages of Liljakovo and Ograzden in the Pirin (eastern Macedonia) area. It has an interesting rhythm structure, consisting of one measure of 9/16 and one measure of 13/16. The most popular instrument of this region is the "tambura," and most of the players are Gypsies who have recently adopted some musical ornamentations and styles from nearby Greece. Snadanski, amed after revolutionary Yane Sandanski, is located in a valley at the foot of Pirin Mountain, on both banks of the Sandanska Bistritsa River. Sandanski's favorable position, suitable climate, and concentration of mineral water springs in the area are all reasons for the town's fame as a center for relaxation and recreation.

MUSIC: Worldtone (45rpm) WT-YM 004
Geisler, Richard. "Sandansko Horo" (sheet music), The Bulgarian Collection, The Village & Early Music Society, 15181 Ballantree Lane, Grass Valley, CA 95949-7633.
Sheet Music: Vancouver International Folk Dancers Music Book, Vol. 2., Deborah Jones, 1982.

FORMATION: Short lines of mixed M and W with hands joined and held down at sides in "V" pos.

METER/RHYTHM: 9/16 + 13/16. The combined rhythm is quick-quick-quick-slow, quick-quick-quick-slow-quick-quick (2+2+2+3 = 9, 2+2+2+3+2+2 = 13). These two meas will be combined into 4 + 6 dancer's beats with the fourth in each meas being the longest.

STEPS/STYLE: There is a slight knee bend throughout with the upper part of the body erect and the arms relaxed. Steps are small and light.

MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION - None, but the dance may start at beg of any musical phrase.

THE DANCE

1 Facing slightly R of ctr, small hop L, while slightly raising R and extending it in LOD (bt 1); step R swd in LOD, bending knees (bt 2); low leap L next to, or in back of R (bt 3); step R swd, bending knees (bt 4).

2 Repeat action of meas 1, bts 1-4, in same dir with opp ftwk (bts 1-4); small leap R in LOD (bt 5); step L across R (bt 6).

3 Small hop L, pointing R low and down diag twd LOD (bt 1); turning to face ctr, hop L, pointing R low and down twd ctr (bt 2); turning to face slightly L of ctr, small hop L, pointing R low and down diag twd RLOD (bt 3); step R across L, bending knees (bt 4).

4 Small leap L in RLOD (bt 1); small step R in RLOD (bt 2); small leap L in RLOD (bt 3); small step R in RLOD (bt 4); turning to face ctr, small hop R (bt 5); small leap L bwd (bt 6).

Repeat entire dance from beg.

Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes

SANDANSKO HORO Bulgarian

PRONUNCIATION:	sahn-DAHN-skoh hoh-ROH

TRANSLATION:	Sandanski dance

SOURCE:	Dick Oakes learned this dance from Yves Moreau who learned it in October, 1969, from members of a folk ensemble of the town of Sandanski, Bulgaria.

BACKGROUND:	Sandansko Horo is from the town of Sandanski in the Blagoevgrad district, some 30 kilometers north of the border with Greece in the southwest corner of Bulgaria. Yves says the dance is quite popular in the villages of Liljakovo and Ograzden in the Pirin (eastern Macedonia) area. It has an interesting rhythm structure, consisting of one measure of 9/16 and one measure of 13/16. The most popular instrument of this region is the "tambura," and most of the players are Gypsies who have recently adopted some musical ornamentations and styles from nearby Greece. Snadanski, amed after revolutionary Yane Sandanski, is located in a valley at the foot of Pirin Mountain, on both banks of the Sandanska Bistritsa River. Sandanski's favorable position, suitable climate, and concentration of mineral water springs in the area are all reasons for the town's fame as a center for relaxation and recreation.

MUSIC:	Worldtone (45rpm) WT-YM 004 Geisler, Richard. "Sandansko Horo" (sheet music), The Bulgarian Collection, The Village & Early Music Society, 15181 Ballantree Lane, Grass Valley, CA 95949-7633. Sheet Music: Vancouver International Folk Dancers Music Book, Vol. 2., Deborah Jones, 1982.
FORMATION:	Short lines of mixed M and W with hands joined and held down at sides in "V" pos.

METER/RHYTHM:	9/16 + 13/16. The combined rhythm is quick-quick-quick-slow, quick-quick-quick-slow-quick-quick (2+2+2+3 = 9, 2+2+2+3+2+2 = 13). These two meas will be combined into 4 + 6 dancer's beats with the fourth in each meas being the longest.

STEPS/STYLE:	There is a slight knee bend throughout with the upper part of the body erect and the arms relaxed. Steps are small and light.


MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION


	INTRODUCTION - None, but the dance may start at beg of any musical phrase.

	THE DANCE

1	Facing slightly R of ctr, small hop L, while slightly raising R and extending it in LOD (bt 1); step R swd in LOD, bending knees (bt 2); low leap L next to, or in back of R (bt 3); step R swd, bending knees (bt 4).

2	Repeat action of meas 1, bts 1-4, in same dir with opp ftwk (bts 1-4); small leap R in LOD (bt 5); step L across R (bt 6).

3	Small hop L, pointing R low and down diag twd LOD (bt 1); turning to face ctr, hop L, pointing R low and down twd ctr (bt 2); turning to face slightly L of ctr, small hop L, pointing R low and down diag twd RLOD (bt 3); step R across L, bending knees (bt 4).

4	Small leap L in RLOD (bt 1); small step R in RLOD (bt 2); small leap L in RLOD (bt 3); small step R in RLOD (bt 4); turning to face ctr, small hop R (bt 5); small leap L bwd (bt 6).

	Repeat entire dance from beg.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes